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Cancer can’t stop William Booth’s coaching career
STORY BY CLIF KNIGHT PHOTOS BY MARIANN PARKER AND JIM MEADOWS
NNothing speaks more highly of the competitive ability of Hartselle High School’s baseball program and the iconic stature of its head coach than the words of the late Vestavia head baseball coach Sammy Dunn, as written in a book celebrating his team’s 1998 national championship season. Dunn recalled how his team rolled into Reuben Sims Field to battle Coach William Booth’s Tigers only to suffer its first loss of the season in the ninth inning. “I’ll never forget it,” he wrote. “We had just gotten word that we had moved to number one in the National Baseball Coaches Association rankings. We were third in the USA Today poll. “They hit a grand slam to beat us. We thought we had the hitter out before the guy who hit the grand slam. The umpire called the pitch ball four and we walked him. That would have won the game for us. “Then, their next batter (Joe Clark) hit a twoout, two-strike grand slam off our reliever to tie the game at 7-7and send it into extra innings. They beat us 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth.” Hartselle also handed Vestavia their second loss, 14-4, in the second game of the state championship playoffs, ending the season with a 42-6 record.
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The success Booth’s teams have achieved in his 33 years as head coach is mind-boggling. His teams have claimed eight state titles and finished second three times. His record stands at 1,025 wins to 431 losses.
His tenure in the Morgan County and Hartselle school systems spans 52 years. He taught math in the Morgan County system for eight years, was a math teacher in Hartselle for four years and was a math teacher and assistant principal for five years. He held the positions of Chapter I/II coordinator math teacher for one year, Chapter I/II coordinator math teacher and baseball coach for one year then chapter I/II AP coordinator, AP calculus teacher and baseball coach for seven years.
In conjunction with his continuing math and baseball careers, he has also been transportation coordinator, director of school operations, interim superintendent and assistant superintendent.
Booth first accepted the position of baseball coach in 1987 at the request of the late Hartselle High School Principal J. P Cain.
“It was not something I wanted,” he recalled. “I was happy in the classroom teaching math, but it was an offer I didn’t feel like I could turn down. I had coached a Little League baseball team for several years, and several of the kids were the same age as my son Mason.”
The coaching change was an immediate success. The Tigers improved their record from 23-10 to 27-4 in two years and captured their first state championship trophy in their third year with an overall record of 35-5. Booth’s teams went on to win back-to-back state titles the next two years and won their fourth in 1994 after picking up a runner-up title in 1993.
The team’s fast rise to excellence came despite of Booth’s lack of experience playing baseball in high school himself. “I was too little,” Booth said. “I was 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed 104 pounds when I graduated from high school.
“My knowledge of the game was limited,” he added, “so I spent a lot of time picking up helpful information from my fellow coaches and friends as well as players who excelled in the sport.”
Booth said his best source of help was the late Coach Dunn, who coached at Vestavia. “He was a personal friend who possessed a
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The way Booth sees it, his program’s success boils down to two major factors: “Good kids and a school system that backs them up are what make our baseball program successful,” he said.
“I taught math and coached baseball the same way,” he pointed out. “Students are expected to be prepared to do their class work, and baseball players have to be motivated to work hard to improve their skills.”
The contributions made by parents and other team supporters have also made it possible for Hartselle’s baseball program to rise to the top in the state, Booth said.
“We don’t look to the school system for money,” he said. “When we have a need, it’s met through the generosity of individuals or fundraisers. One of our supporters has purchased new uniforms for eight years.”
Booth, who was inducted in the 2018 AHSAA Hall of Fame, and his wife, Peggy, have four children and six grandchildren. Four of them have benefited directly from their father and grandfather’s expertise in the classroom: Mason Booth, Andy Vest and Lori Vest Cline are practicing engineers, and Katherine Cline, a junior at Tennessee Tech University, is following their example.
What does the future hold for Booth, who is recuperating from stomach cancer at age 77? He said he wants to stay in education, coaching baseball for another five or six years.
The outlook for Hartselle baseball in 2022 is bright to say the least. Five members of the team have already made commitments to play for major college teams following their graduation.
Developing students’ problem-solving skills
PParents and teachers are partners in developing students’ academic skills, and most are well aware of that when each school year begins.
Parents and schools are also partners in developing students’ social problem-solving skills. When problems arise in the life of a child, it is tempting – and usually most expedient – to simply take care of the issue at hand. It’s a better course, however, not to rush to solve a child’s problems for him. If you see your child struggling with something, allow your child an opportunity to figure it out before helping. Here are some considerations:
1. Model problem-solving for your child
When you face an obstacle, think “out loud” about your next steps. “Well, I wish I could ___, but that’s not possible. And I would ___ if ___, but that’s not going to be possible either. With the options I have, I believe I will ___. Though it’s not exactly what I want, it’s the best outcome in the situation I am in.” Your child needs to see and hear you going through the steps. He/she will begin to emulate this behavior.
2. Practice problem-solving with your child
When your child asks you to solve something for him/her, press pause. Instead of providing an answer, ask more questions. “Well, if you ____, what good thing might happen? What bad thing might happen?
Can you think of a better solution? Do you have all the information you need to make this decision?” Questions such as these build problem-solving muscles. With younger children, you can offer two or three possibilities and then talk those through in much the same way.
3. Share a think-out-loud book
Consider reading books with your child that are designed to present problems and help parents and children together talk through solutions. “Solutions for BY SUSAN HAYES Cold Feet” is one such book, but there are HCS FEDERAL PROGRAMS COORDINATOR many others.
4. Allow for natural consequences
When children are allowed to experience natural consequences, it can be an effective discipline strategy that teaches problem-solving skills. This means you allow your child to make a choice and then face the negative consequences. Of course, make sure there are no safety concerns. This can lead to a discussion about problem-solving to help him/her make a better choice next time. Consider these natural consequences as a teachable moment to help work together on problem-solving. On paper, all of this seems wise; in practice, though, it’s difficult not to step in and rescue children from the consequences of their own actions or to simply take care of matters and move forward through our busy days. In the end, though, we must help our children think for themselves and make reasonable choices. They won’t get it just right every time – none of us does. But these tools will help them grow into resilient adults.
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